LAND MAINTENANCE TIPS
Grass is always greener and more nutritious when it is well managed. To help improve your pasture during the year try doing the following:

Harrowing: Prepares your pasture for healthy grass growth by removing dead or weak grass and moss from the base of the healthy grass and by scarifying the soil, allowing more light to the soil for improved grass growth. This will give fertiliser a

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LAND MAINTENANCE TIPS
Grass is always greener and more nutritious when it is well managed. To help improve your pasture during the year try doing the following:

Harrowing: Prepares your pasture for healthy grass growth by removing dead or weak grass and moss from the base of the healthy grass and by scarifying the soil, allowing more light to the soil for improved grass growth. This will give fertiliser a better access to the roots.

Aerating: Allowing more oxygen into the soil allows for better grass yields.

Spraying: Spraying should be done when weeds are actively growing. Spot and boom spraying will kill weeds such as docks, thistles, nettles and buttercups (stops buttercup rash). Eliminating your weeds allows new grass to grow, giving your animals more to eat, and prevents the weeds re-seeding.

Weed Wiping: Like spraying, this should be done when the weeds are actively growing. Weed wiping allows the herbicide to come into direct contact with the weeds and is best carried out when the weeds are taller than the grass.

Topping: Grass should be kept at 5-7cm throughout the growing season. Some animals, such as horses, tend to be fussy and not eat grass any longer than about 15cms. Topping also promotes growth at root level and helps encourage new leaf growth and increases sward density, which reduces the opportunity for weeds to grow, protecting your pastures from the effects of hoof damage in winter. If grass is allowed to grow too long it will simply fall over, matt together and and rot in autumn allowing no light to the soil which will dramatically reduce the following years growth.

Seeding: This is essential to improving grass quality. Seeding tired pastures will prevent weeds from establishing in areas that have become bare over winter. It will also help to bind the soil and give your pastures a stronger base.

Rolling: This flattens out any ruts and gives new grass a better chance to establish a strong root system. Rolling should be done after harrowing and re-seeding to level and firm up the ground.

Remove droppings: Removing droppings from the grass on a daily basis helps reduce the risk of equine worms and eliminates patches of rank grass to prevent selective grazing.

Fertilising: This helps to maintain the status of the soil and gives important nutrients to promote healthy grass growth. (do not graze your animals for at least 3 weeks after fertilising, provided there has been enough rain to wash the fertiliser into the ground).


SEASONAL TASKS



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